Holy Spectacle: It's That Time of Year Again

Ah, tradition! What would we do without it? It just wouldn't be the season
without a squabble over religious displays on public property. By now it's
as much a part of Christmas as holly and mistletoe, if not nearly so nice.

Forget that business about the still small voice. Religion in this blessed
land, at least when it become entangled with law, inspires not silent
devotion but loud contention. So it was only a matter of time before
somebody objected to the nativity scene on the grounds of the state Capitol
here in Little Rock.

This time the objection came from the Freedom From Religion Foundation,
bless its heart. It's headquartered in (of course) Madison, Wis., which is
the capital not only of that lovely if chilly state but of liberal - excuse
me, progressive - thought in those cool climes.

This lawyer letter from Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of aforesaid
foundation, came complete with the usual season's greeting in these
confrontations, to wit, a not very veiled threat. If the State of Arkansas
doesn't respond to her demand that it take Christ out of its official
Christmas, or at least evict the Holy Family from the Capitol grounds, she
said her group "would have to take further action."

The message was clear: Mary, Joseph, the baby, even the donkey and the wise
men bearing gifts, plus a shepherd, a couple of sheep and the inevitable
camel they all must go. After all these years, indeed centuries, there's
still no room for them at the inn, at least if the Freedom From Religion
Foundation has its cold-hearted way.

The nativity scene, says the foundation, "sends an unlawful message of
endorsement of Christianity." Such language is par for the ill-tempered
course. Why must the protesters in this all-too-familiar Christmas pageant
pronounce upon the law as if they were judges? Couldn't they just write a
polite letter? Or would it come too close to a religious act to show some
grace?

Manners tend to sway us in these latitudes; threats don't. Indeed, they
usually only harden us in our original course, which is what seems to have
happened in this case. A spokesman for the Arkansas secretary of state's
office promptly rose to the defense of the nativity scene with some equal
but opposite legalese: "It's displayed on the periphery of the Capitol
grounds. It's not in the Capitol building. It's just a part of the
decorations celebrating all aspects of the holiday season." So relax, folks.
It's OK. The Holy Family is just another decoration.